Black Hawk War

Chief Black Hawk c1837

Black Hawk War (1832) - The Black Hawk War was fought in 1832 in the Midwestern section of the United States. The war was named for Black Hawk, the leader of a band of Sauk and Fox American Indians, who fought against the U.S. Army and Illinois militia for possession of lands in the region.

The war began in April 1832 when Black Hawk and several bands of hostile Indians crossed the Mississippi River, into Illinois, from Iowa Indian Territory. The news of that crossing spread into the settlements of Wisconsin and Illinois and resulted in a flurry of fort and blockhouse construction in communities that felt threatened. Militia companies were formed to garrison these fortifications and to chase after the bands of hostile Indians as they attacked. Troops under General Henry Dodge were mobilized to chase down the hostiles who were killing or capturing everyone they came across in the countryside.

The war lasted only five months and ended on 2 Aug 1832 at the Battle of Bad Ax as Black Hawk's total band of about 1000 attempted to cross back over the Mississippi. Roberts indicates that about 250 whites were killed in massacres and pitched battles while almost all of Black Hawk's bands were killed. Black Hawk and others escaped, but later surrendered and were imprisoned.

Treaties ending the Black Hawk War were signed with the Ho-Chunk (15 Sep 1832) and Sauk and Fox (21 Sep 1832) at Fort Armstrong, Illinois.

Black Hawk War Forts (edit list)

Fort	Type	State	County	From	To	GPS	Notes
Fort Apple River	Settler	IL	Jo Daviess	1832	1832	42.31811, -90.21461
Fort Armstrong	USA	IL	Rock Island	1816	1845	41.51629, -90.56558
Fort Blue Mounds	Settler	WI	Iowa	1832	1832	43.00553, -89.82958
Fort Brady	USA	MI	Chippewa	1822	1893	46.50036, -84.34201
Fort Crawford	USA	WI	Crawford	1816	1856	43.04444, -91.14722
Fort Defiance	Settler	WI	Lafayette	1832	1832	42.79636, -90.12962
Fort Dearborn	USA	IL	Cook	1803	1838	41.88774, -87.62382
Fort Dixon	USA	IL	Lee	1832	1832	41.84648, -89.4847	aka Fort at Dixon's Ferry
Fort Gratiot	USA	MI	St. Clair	1814	1879	43.00667, -82.42383
Fort Hamilton		WI	Lafayette	1832	1832	42.63665, -89.95295
Fort Horn		IL	La Salle	1825	18??	,
Fort Howard	USA	WI	Brown	1816	1852	44.47389, -88.03306
Fort Johnson	Miltia	IL	La Salle	1832	1832	41.34088, -88.84313
Fort Koshkonong	USA	WI	Jefferson	1832	1832	42.92568, -88.85792	aka Fort Atkinson
Fort Mackinac	USA	MI	Mackinac	1780	1895	45.85206, -84.61754
Fort Snelling	USA	MN	Hennepin	1820	1946	44.89277, -93.18069
Jefferson Barracks	USA	MO	St. Louis	1826	1946	38.50278, -90.28028
Fort Payne		IL	Du Page	1832	1832	,
Fort Wilbourn		IL	La Salle	1832	1832	,	aka Fort Deposit
Fort Winnebago	USA	WI	Columbia	1828	1853	43.55489, -89.43386
Fort Beggs		IL	Will	1832	1832	,
Fort Cribs		IL	Marshall or Putnam	1832	1832	,
Fort Darnell		IL	Marshall	1832	1832	,
Fort Du Page		IL	Du Page	1832	1832	,
Fort Galena		IL	Jo Daviess	1832	1832	,
Fort Henline		IL	Logan	1832	1832	,
Kellogg's Grove Fort		IL	Stephenson	1832	1832	,
Fort Naper		IL	Du Page	1832	1832	,
Fort Patton		IL	McLean	1832	1832	,
Fort Thomas	Militia	IL	Bureau	1832	1832	,
Fort Jackson	Settler	WI	Iowa	1832	1832	42.85891, -90.17718
Roundtree's Fort	Militia	WI	Grant	1832	1832	42.73174, -90.47258	aka Fort Dodge

Context

Links:

• Black Hawk War Chronology

Related:
Fort Apple River, Fort Armstrong, Fort Armstrong, Fort Atkinson, Fort Blue Mounds, Fort Brady, Fort Brady, Fort Butler, Fort Butler, Fort Clark, Fort Clark, Fort Clark, Fort Crawford, Fort Crawford, Fort Dearborn, Fort Defiance, Fort Defiance, Fort Dixon, Fort Dodge, Fort Dodge, Fort Edwards, Fort Gratiot, Fort Hamilton, Fort Hamilton, Fort Howard, Fort Howard, Fort Jackson, Fort Jackson, Fort Johnson, Fort Johnson, Fort Koshkonong, Fort Mackinac, Fort Madison, Fort Matson, Fort Payne, Fort Snelling, Fort Thomas, Fort Thomas, Fort Willden, Fort Winnebago, Fort at Dixon's Ferry, Jefferson Barracks, Roundtree's Fort, Robert C. Buchanan, Jefferson Davis, Edmund P. Gaines, William S. Harney, Albert Sidney Johnston, Abraham Lincoln, Randolph B. Marcy, Albert S. Miller, Edmund A. Ogden, Winfield Scott, Zachary Taylor, Joseph Van Swearingen,